PRESS RELEASE
UNGA 77: African First Ladies, UNFPA urge greater involvement of women and girls in Peace-building AFLPM, UNFPA urge greater involvement of Women and girls in Advancing Peace
UNGA 77: Women and girls must be at the Centre of Conflict and Post-Conflict Resolution in Fragile settings
NIGERIA, Abuja - African First Ladies at a side event during the 77th edition of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77), under the platform of the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) in collaboration with UNFPA Nigeria have called for greater participation of women and girls in advancing peace and security in fragile settings of the Sahel region, to accelerate the attainment of the UN Sustainable Goals 5 (Gender equality) and 16 (Peace, justice, and strong institutions) in Africa.
The side event, organized by UNFPA Nigeria, and chaired by the First Lady of Burundi, Angeline Ndayubaha (Vice President AFLPM) in New York, was held at the Nigeria Permeant Mission in New York on 22 September 2022.
The co-convener of the meeting, president of the AFLPM, and First lady of Nigeria, Dr. Mrs. Aisha Buhari spoke on vulnerabilities encountered by women and girls in Nigeria - currently grappling with a protracted armed conflict that has exacerbated the humanitarian and developmental needs of women and girls in northern Nigeria. To mitigate such difficulties, she called for the deliberate inclusion of women and girls from the Sahel region in peacebuilding and peace-making.
The highlight of the high-level side event was the launch of a Call to Action (CtA) to accelerate action against gender-based violence (GBV) and other harmful practices. The document contains commitments, recommendations, and a request for urgent action by signatories, public institutions, partners, and civil society organizations to accelerate their determined efforts aimed at ending all forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Other participants at the high-level side event included the First Ladies of Liberia, DRC Congo, and Serra Leone, the African Youths Envoy, Madam Oley Dibba- Wadda, Executive Secretary of AFLPM, Diene Keita, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director Programmes, H.E. Amb. Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner, AU Peace, and Political Affairs, H.E Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, Argentina Matavel - UNFPA Regional Director West and Central Africa, Hajo Sani Nigeria Representative to UNESCO France, and Mr. Tijjani Muhammad Bande the Nigerian representative to the United Nations, and Ministers of Women Affairs for Burundi and Nigeria. Wives of the Governors of Zamfara and Kebbi States, Army Chiefs, and representatives of CBOs and NGOs were also in attendance.
